Missiles for 3 Navy ships to arrive December

MANILA — Three of the Philippine Navy’s multi-purpose attack craft (MPAC) are expected to be fitted with anti-ship missiles once the weapon system is delivered in December from Israel.

Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado said the three MPACs are waiting to be fitted with their Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd’s Spike ER (extended range) missile systems which are in anti-ship mode.

“The delivery of the missile system is being worked out because it has to be transported by a military platform, either a military ship or plane. Nevertheless, the Navy is preparing our facility at NASCOM Cavite for the work,” Mercado said in an interview.

He added the Navy is eyeing the use of Philippine Air Force (PAF) Lockheed C-130 “Hercules” cargo plane for the delivery of the weapons to the country.

The three MPACs were activated last May 22. A Spike ER is capable of penetrating 1,000 mm (39 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor and has a maximum range of five miles.

These MPACs are Mark III models and are considerably more advanced than the six Mark I and IIs currently in the Philippine Navy inventory and constructed by Subic Bay-based Propmech Corporation.

Contracts for the three ships are worth PHP270 million sourced from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Act Trust Fund of 2000. The contract includes mission essential equipment. Mission essential equipment includes day/night electronic navigation systems, communication suites, safety-of-life-at-sea, propulsion system and seamanship and ship-handling gears. PNA-northboundasia.com